


Descending Grief

by Akaash1stan



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Akaashi Keiji & Kozume Kenma Friendship, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Angst, Anxiety for kenma, Apple Pie, Crying at night, Established Bokuaka, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Kenma is a CEO, Kenma is a YouTuber, M/M, Minor Iwaizumi Hajime/Oikawa Tooru, Oikawa is a horrible roommate, POV Kozume Kenma, POV Oikawa Tooru, Past Character Death, Pining Kozume Kenma, Pining Oikawa Tooru, Poor Kags, Poor child is suffering, Possibly Unrequited Love, Post Timeskip, RIP, Soulmate AU, Soulmates, Star Tears, Startears disease, Tsundere Iwaizumi Hajime, YouTuber Kozume Kenma, YouTuber Oikawa Tooru, beauty guru oikawa tooru, kenma suffers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-07
Updated: 2021-01-23
Packaged: 2021-03-17 13:53:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,045
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28600989
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Akaash1stan/pseuds/Akaash1stan
Summary: Kozume Kenma rested on the sodden ground, still wet from morning dew. You could see the tears streaming from his eyes as he gazed at the stone peeking out from the grass. It had the name Kuroo Tetsurou engraved onto it.It had been one year since Kenma's beloved soulmate had passed in a car crash.It still hurt to think about him. Kenma thought himself stupid for still crying after one long year of grief. He grieved everyday since he died.or:Kuro's dead, and Kenma is healing. Kind of Soulmate AU.Kenma centered.
Relationships: Akaashi Keiji/Bokuto Koutarou, Hinata Shouyou/Kageyama Tobio, Hinata Shouyou/Kozume Kenma, Iwaizumi Hajime/Oikawa Tooru, Kozume Kenma/Kuroo Tetsurou
Comments: 8
Kudos: 21





	1. Happy Birthday.

**Author's Note:**

> **TW: Semi Panic Attack**  
>  ~ 's mean there's been a change in time  
> ~~'s mean that there's been a POV change, or Kenma's tweeting/posting videos ξξ(∵◕◡◕∵)ξξ  
> Enjoy!

Kozume Kenma rested on the sodden ground, still wet from morning dew. You could see the tears streaming from his eyes as he gazed at the stone peeking out from the grass. It had the name Kuroo Tetsurou engraved onto it.

It had been one year since Kenma's beloved soulmate had passed in a car crash.

It still hurt to think about him. Kenma thought himself stupid for still crying after one long year of grief. He grieved everyday since he died.

He desperately missed him today.

"Kuro," he whispered under his breath in between sobs,  
"It's your birthday today"

It hurt to say his name, even. It hurt more than you could ever imagine.  
"You would've turned twenty today," He whispered.

"I hope you're up there, listening to me Kuro."  
Kenma placed a volleyball close to the gravestone, along with a bouquet of bright red poppies. "Happy birthday,"

If you had been there with kenma, or had been a spectator at the cemetery, You would have caught sight of Kozume Kenma , crying, or rather: sobbing, inconsolably on the ground, with poppies and a volleyball.

Oh the pain that Kenma had gone through the last few years. He would wake up almost every day in a cold sweat, having relived his soulmates death in his dreams. He often expected Kuroo to greet him when he came home from work. He wasn't there of course. He knew Kuroo would've wanted him to move on but no matter how hard he tried he couldn't seem to form relationships anymore.

Akaashi helped Kenma through his grief. He often came over for lunch, and even sometimes dinner, bringing his soulmate, Bokuto, along.

Kenma appreciated it when they came over. But it didn't help much.

The only time he found relief from his grief was when he was with Shoyou hinata.

Kenma did not, in fact understand why he felt better when he was with Shoyo. Perhaps it was because of his bright personality. Or maybe it was his consideration about Kenma's social anxiety and the loss of Kuroo.

Kenma was timid. Most of the time. Quiet and blunt when it came to conversations. There were a set of invisible rules that came with having social anxiety, things your subconscious wouldn't let you do, for fear of drawing attention to yourself and being criticized. Shoyou- he kind of understood, in a vague way. It didn't seem that way on the outside, because having bright orange hair and screaming your opinions out loud didn't quite match with Kenma's quiet personality. It worked though.

So, while Kenma sat at Kuroo's grave, on his birthday, holding a bouquet of his favorite flowers, silently sobbing into his hands, he felt a hand on his back. Kenma jumped in surprise, whipping his head around, to see Akaashi with a comforting expression. Behind him was a bright orange shock of hair and white spikes. You could hear the distant shouting of 'Bokuto-kun' and 'Chibi-chan' behind him. Kenma averted Akaashi's gaze, tilting his head down so that his hair would close his field of vision, blocking Akaashi. Kenma wiped his tears away with the sleeve of his sweater, sniffing silently. He tried to stop the sobs that were trying to rack through his body. It had been some time since Akaashi had seen Kenma cry.

He'd been concerned, seeing that Kenma hadn't been talking much, had been withdrawing. Akaashi tried his best not to overstep his boundaries, for Kenma was not the type to let people in so easily. Breaking his trust could break the friendship. He wished all the best for Kenma, did what he could to soothe the pain, although it didn't help much; the fact that it did comforted Akaashi.

A distant, "Akghaaaashiii," sounded from the parking lot, where Bokuto and Hinata had moved their banter to. 

Akaashi momentarily turned his head around to glance at Bokuto, then deciding to ignore him; turning back to face Kenma. 

"Are you ok?" Akaashi murmured. It was barely audible, silent as can be. 

Kenma nodded, slightly, and prepared to get up from his spot on the grass. He trudged through the graveyard, Akaashi at his side. The walked towards the parking lot in silence, when Hinata walked up to them, handing Kenma a handkerchief. Kenma accepted it, quickly wiping his eyes, and dabbing at his nose. He needed to film a video soon, get some makeup on or something. 

He got into the car, started it, and began the thirty minute drive home. 

* * *

Kenma sighed as he unlocked the door to his shared apartment with Oikawa. Another day with Oikawa, and it was always tiring. He entered the apartment, briskly walking to his room, hoping Oikawa didn't come up to him and ask him for something. 

Luckily, he did make it to his room without having to deal with Oikawa. He began the boring process of applying the usual liner onto his eyes. 

The habit had started when Oikawa had somehow convinced Kenma to let him do some makeup on him for his own video. The two Youtubers were well known and popular amongst Japan. Oikawa did the collab purely because he thought Kenma would look adorable with some eyeliner and lip gloss. He begrudgingly obliged, and after filming, he didn't have time to wipe it all off and just filmed his next video with slightly smudged eyeliner on his face. His fans were enthusiastic for it and his next video, the comments begged for him to put it on again. So, he did, and it slowly became his trademark. 

~~

**Kodzuken uploaded 10:30AM- "Playing COD-- again."**

**1,235,754 Comments-**

_OikawasFlatAs: Why isn't Kuroo in your video's anymore Kenma? I miss him!_

_Kenmasbae: I miss him! Where's he been?_

~~

Kenma resisted the strong urge to slap his face, groaning silently. He hadn't told his follower's that Kuroo wasn't around anymore, which was weird because it had been more than a year. He couldn't bring himself to break the news, knowing that many of his fans really liked Kuroo. Kenma let his head rest on his recording desk. 

A few knocks sounded at the door- Oikawa. 

"Come in," came the silent invitation, unenthused and bored. 

Oikawa skipped through the now open door, a smile gracing his lips and his arms flailing around. 

"Gueeess who just got a daaate? Meeeee! Iwa-chan just asked me outttt!" He squealed, almost jumping up and down.

"I thought you two were soulmates?" Kenma scrolled through his phone, glancing up every now and then. 

"Yeah, mhmm, but he didn't like me, so I graced him with my endless love and beauty, and he eventually fell for me," Oikawa gushed. 

Kenma rolled his eyes, "Sure,"

Oikawa pouted, he was hoping to get more of a reaction out of Kenma, but Kenma was Kenma, and you couldn't change that. Muted reactions was all you could get from him. 

~~

Kodzuken:

@OikawaBich is being dumb again.

~

OikawaBich:

@Kodzuken how rude! I just got a date and this is how you congratulate me?! '(ᗒᗣᗕ)՞

~~

Kenma debated on sleeping or continuing to edit his next video. He sighed, it was nearly 2 AM, and he had a meeting tomorrow. He could sleep and continue working on it tomorrow, narrowing his free time, or he could sacrifice his sleep and get it all done so he could have more free time to do dumb crap. 

He shut off his computer, and flopped onto his bed, facing the ceiling, limbs flailing around. Although he had been fine most of the day, he couldn't help but miss Kuroo once again, when he wasn't plagued by other thoughts. Being left to your own thoughts was dangerous, and Kenma didn't like it. But today would be an exception. Kenma tried his hardest to not let the tears escape his eyes. And, well, they didn't. Kenma laid on the bed in silence, feeling an invisible pressure push down on his chest. He heaved a sigh; once again, before drifting off to a tiresome sleep. 

* * *

Kenma awoke the next morning to birds chirping in their usual fashion, the occasional car honk, and of course, the ever annoying phone alarm. 

Ringing annoyingly, loudly, irritably, any negative adjective possible to describe this wretched phone alarm. Kenma groaned in anguish, he had a restless sleep, waking up every few hours in a cold sweat, then taking thirty minutes to fall back asleep. This particular night he had probably only gotten three hours of rest. 

Kenma buried his head into the pillows, attempting to maybe ignore the alarm, to no avail. Pulled the covers over his head, and you could hear it loud and clear. 

Loud. And very, very, clear. 

Alarms. Were quite annoying. Very. 

He sat up, rubbing his eyes, yawning, like most did when one wakes up. He silenced his phone, momentarily checking his notifications, and got out of bed. The sullen mood he had fallen asleep with the other night stuck with him like glue. The feeling of something weighing you down, and the jittery feeling of intense anxiety. 

Exiting the room, Kenma could spot Oikawa slurping down his coffee in an attempt to wake himself up quickly, although it didn't work, gulping down scalding hot liquids of any type certainly would wake you up. 

"Heyyy, Kenmaa! Did you not sleep well? I can tell by your eye bags! You definitely need those covered, can I heelp?" Oikawa chided from his spot in the living room. 

Kenma ignored him, as usual, because responding would cause a conversation, and a conversation with Oikawa could last hours. Kenma had a meeting to go to. He got his usual breakfast, toast and some other things, and retreated to his room to edit and eat his breakfast. 

~

Oikawa burst through the door, two coats in hand, along with two pairs of shoes right as Kenma began exporting his new video. 

"Kenma! Tell me which one is better?! Beige cashmere cardigan, or- or blue silk overcoat?! And Suede or leather?!" 

"What for?" Kenma groaned. 

"My DAtE with Iwa-chan of course!" Oikawa acted like it was obvious, which it wasn't because this is how Oikawa acted every day on an hourly basis. 

Kenma signaled with his hands which ones he thought, which were purposely the ugly combination, so that Oikawa would once again; leave and grumble that Kenma had no fashion sense, then pick the combination Kenma hadn't chosen.

Oikawa was too shallow to notice the way Kenma did this of course. 

~~

Kodzuken:

@OikawaBich is being oh so very dumb. He asked me to pick an outfit when we all know that all I wear are sweats and sweatshirts. 

OikawaBich:

@Kodzuken STOP BEING SO RUUUDE (ಠ ∩ಠ)

~~

Kenma drove to Bouncing Ball Corp's HQ, arrived just three minutes late, and successfully feigned happiness. The overwhelming feeling of boring emanated from the building. Sure, Kenma had started this company, therefore should feel a bit more positive about it, but meetings were the most boring of all of the things he had to attend to. Social interaction was not his thing. At all. The social awkwardness that could incur if he attempted to start conversations outweighed anything good that would come of it. Kenma opted to stay silent and nod to whatever was being said to show engagement. 

"So, what do you think?" Suna completed, after droning off about a new pitch idea. 

Kenma hummed a reply, indifferent to the idea, but still slightly disapproving of it. 

"That isn't an answer,"

"I'm indifferent to the concept," Kenma huffed, almost slamming his face onto the wooden desk. 

"Great! Any rejections for this idea?" Suna noted. 

The board room agreed unanimously. 

~

Kenma went on a livestream later that morning. It was mostly uneventful. His fans were supportive as ever, engaging with his videos and posts, etc. 

Kenma had contemplated telling his fans about Kuroo, but he decided that it wasn't yet time yet. 

"Yeah, I might get Kuroo in another video soon," Kenma said, replying to a chat comment. 

The chat exploded in excitement, Kenma smiled, averting his gaze from the camera. 

~~

Kodzuken: 

Thank you for joining in the stream today. New video will go up in two days. 

> > StAnforKen replied: 

Yay! hope the new videos will have Kuroo in it!

~~

Akaashi wondered if he should go and visit Kenma later this week. He had thought that maybe Kenma wasn't feeling to great, as he hadn't yet responded to his text messages, and it had been 24 hours. Kenma at least wouldn't take that long. Maybe 6 or 10 hours on average. Akaashi supposed he was simply busy. He did stream a few hours ago, and he seemed fine. Quite chipper, really. Akaashi brushed it off, Kenma must just be busy. Bokuto whined from the living room about how hungry he was, and so Akaashi set off to make some food for the both of them. He guessed that some pasta would be nice for tonight. Bokuto had insisted that they watch some movies together. A "binge fest" as he called it. Akaashi thought that Bokuto wouldn't make it past the second movie. He whined and begged, and Akaashi found himself nodding curtly, before checking his phone once more. 

* * *

Kenma was sat near the edge of his bed, arms wrapped around his knees, breathing steadily. He had been hit with a realization, that cause a state of shock. Which caused a hyperventilating Kenma resting on the bed trying to make sure he wasn't going to die. Which he wasn't, but his mind wouldn't believe it. 

Although, after Kenma had calmed a little bit, he couldn't seem to recall what had caused this. perhaps a trigger of some sort. Kenma could not tell. He stared at the wall for sometime, studying the picture frames of him and Kuro hung there. A wall hanging made by Akaashi. Some awards on a shelf. He studied his entire room, until his breathing slowed, and his body no longer trembled. He was; to say the least, ok. 

His mind returned to what he had told his followers on his stream earlier today. He said he would try to get Kuroo on the channel. Albeit, he did have some pre recorded videos with Kuroo popping in. He guessed that it would do for now. 

Kenma searched through his social media; the array of things he'd been tagged in, the direct messages he'd gotten, several hate messages- all the usual things. He'd expect these things. Kenma shrugged to himself, getting up from the edge of his bed to make sure his next video was ready.

~~ 

Oikawa burst through the apartment door, practically about to explode as he shrieked the almost incomprehensible words, "IWA-CHAN KISSED MEEEE!!" He dived onto the couch, burying his head into the pillow, sighing in contentment. Oikawa lay there on the couch for several minutes after, wondering why Iwaizumi had kissed him. He had not understood the reasoning behind it, because Iwaizumi tended to act cold, or annoyed towards Oikawa. He didn't show any outwards signs of affection or attraction. Oikawa could not comprehend it. Kenma appeared soon after Oikawa's outburst upon entering their apartment.

"What is it this time?" He huffed to the brunette.

"Didn't you hear me before?" Oikawa mumbled, his face buried in the couch pillows.

"Yes. However, its seems unlikely that Iwaizumi-san would ever kiss you." Kenma remarked

Oikawa gaped in response, his mouth opening to let out a snarky response, then closing for lack of ideas. "Well, he did- he kissed me, and frankly I don't understand why!"

Kenma chewed on his lip, thinking, deep in thought. He gave up after a minute or so. He padded to the kitchen to prepare lunch for himself. Oikawa sat up quickly, nearly falling off the couch in the process, and yelped "Hey! Don't you have any advice for me?"

Kenma shook his head no, returning to slice some apples.

"You know, apple pie for lunch isn't really healthy for you, you know!"

~~

Kenma flipped Oikawa off, and resumed to peel and cut apples for his apple pie. It was the only thing Kenma could cook well. Even Kuro liked it. Kuro rarely ate sweet things, but when this specific recipe was brought to life, he could not resist.

Yeah, Kenma missed Kuro. Everyday, but this week especially.

Later that night, Kenma finished editing his next video, and scheduled it to post next Tuesday. Afterwards he would post the video that he had filmed previously with Kuro. Kenma decided he would retire for the night, it was already 1 in the morning and Shoyo wanted to meet up tomorrow. Early as always, Shoyo was such a morning person. It was kind of peculiar, he didn't seem like a morning person much at all. Sure he was a ball of energy, but how he got all that energy was the question. 

Some tears fell from his eyes. Kenma went to wipe them away, wondering why he was even crying, because he was thinking about Shoyo and not Kuro. However, when he went to wipe them away, his face- it was dry. It wasn't wet or salty. He looked at his lap, expecting dark splotches on his sweats before noticing a sprinkling of gems, or jewels. He could hear the faint sound of glass shattering. Almost like a twinkle of bells. He guessed Oikawa had gotten up to fetch a glass of water before retiring to bed. 


	2. Suppose I didn't realize...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Iwaoi crumbles + Bokuaka crumbs.  
> Oikawa the bestest friend ever-  
> and:  
> Kenma is severely apathetic. ┌( ಠ_ಠ)┘

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mild swearing in this chapter! Sorry~ ヽ(゜～゜o)ノ  
> Enjoy!

Kenma was, to say the least, confused. The jewels, which he had collected in his palm, differed in size and color. They sparkled in the light, casting rainbows across his room. He tucked them into a random container in his room and decided this would be a problem for tomorrow. He retired to his bed, and fell into a fitful sleep, much like the one from the previous night.

~

Kenma awoke to Oikawa shuffling through his dresser, and the faint humming of Bokuto somewhere in the apartment. Kenma didn't know how he knew that it was Bokuto that was humming, but he brushed it off.

"What- What are you doing?" Kenma groaned, sitting up slowly and rubbing his eyes.

Oikawa turned to face him with a cautious face. The last time he had woken up Kenma he had been shrieked at for thirty minutes.

"I'mmmm- I'm looking for something?"

Kenma rolled his eyes. What could be in his inventory of clothes that Oikawa would want?

"Aren't you always telling me that my sense of fashion is disgusting and all my clothes should be thrown out and replaced?"

"No! I don't tell you that! Wait- wait I told you that yesterday never mind..." Oikawa laughed nervously, turning back to shuffle through Kenma's dresser.

Kenma frowned, slowly getting up and lightly shoving Oikawa back outside the room.

Kenma did not frankly quite understand why Oikawa had gone through his large collection of sweatpants and sweaters. Oikawa was more of a ripped jeans and turtleneck person. With the complicated planned out outfits. The kind with the long white sleeve undershirt, a clip-on collar and a black T-shirt over it. And you could never forget the beige trench coat-esque cardigan over it all. Even more complicated were the accessories and the makeup. Oikawa rambled so much about the jewelry and how it should be picked out per outfit and how to layer and style them that Kenma had ended up memorizing a good portion of it. 

_"When in doubt, pick gold because that went with everything. Silver and platinum is strictly reserved for cool colors- greens, blues, and purples. Never more than two necklaces or else it'll get tangled and ugly. Never mix silver and gold. Hoops and dangles are better than studs- etc."_

It was likely that Oikawa could write a book on such topics, but he hadn't yet. Kenma had commented several times through his lectures on jewelry etiquette that he should simply write a book on the topic. Oikawa refused profusely, and said that he did not have enough time and that he was a slow typist (unlike Kenma).

Kenma stuffed a slice of the pie he made the previous day into his mouth and tied his too-long-hair up into a messy bun. The once fully bleached hair was now black hair with blonde tips. Kenma hadn't bothered to cut it, although the last few days it had been problematic and annoying to deal with. He figured he would need to cut it sometime next week. He could spot Bokuto's spiked white and black hair in his peripheral. He indignantly ignored Bokuto when he waved a small 'hi' at Kenma when he strode out of his room. 

Oikawa was in the 'filming corner' which was supposed to be meant for both him and Kenma, but Kenma didn't film there, instead opting to film in his room. Oikawa was talking about how he had a new date while he dabbed a sponge on his face. 

Kenma unlocked the apartment door and headed out to meet with Shoyo with a sigh.

* * *

"So, you know what I mean right? Like is he going to make a move, and like ask me to be his boyfriend if we've kissed already?" Oikawa muttered in frustration as he blended out his foundation. He snatched a contour palette from the tray next to him. 

"Guys I need advice! When we found out we didn't even know each other! I was working at a coffee shop and he came in and I _literally spilled the fucking coffee on him! "_ Oikawa paused, "Oh shit I'm gonna have to edit that out,"

Bokuto entered the frame, making a peace sign before disappearing out of the frame once more. Oikawa gaped at him, furrowing his brows. 

"Bokutooo! I'm in the middle of a _very_ important talk right now~"

Bokuto shrugged, grabbing his coat and his phone before seemingly poofing out of the apartment. 

Oikawa snapped out of his stupor, and resumed talking while getting ready for the day. 

"...So anyways- after I spilled the searing hot coffee on him, I frantically offered him a shirt, it was a spare that I kept and it was _ugly_ so I never wore it." He smudged on some lip tint, and grabbed a powder compact. "You all know what lip tint I use~ if you don't, the link is down below!" 

Oikawa slumped, rolling his eyes, "This man has got no sense of embarrassment, legit takes his shirt off at the fucking front of the store!" Oikawa paused again, "Ughhhh, I did it again! More bleeping noises for meee~" He puffed on some powder over his newly done foundation.

Oikawa continued, grabbing an eyeshadow palette from the tray next to him. "I'm using brush 221 from MAC, with _the child™_ palette from Colourpop- the shade 'Precious Cargo' is going to be used for the base, " he continued, "Anyways, so he was wearing a turtleneck, and so I couldn't see where his soulmate mark was~ It turns out it was on his collarbone, so when he changed I saw his mark." He switched shades, "This shade is called 'Baby face' from the same palette- I'm just going to go over the inner corner of my eyes with this, and then...." He went to do what he had just said, "I'll take this nice green shade called 'Float your crib' and just go over my eyelid."

"Oop~ getting off topic here! So- where was I..." Oikawa paused his eyeshadow and stopped to think, "Oh yes, it was when I saw my name written in the most beautiful cursive in a metallic blue written on this dude's collarbone," He continued doing his makeup, "It said _Tooru Oikawa_ , with this really pretty decal of a volleyball on the 'o's, so I knew it was me~" He attempted to write his name in the air with his makeup brush, then resuming with a chuckle, "Anddd~ I'm just going to do my eyebrows and lashes off camera, and that'll be it for the video! Thank you so much for watching- don't forget to like, comment, and subscribe for the next video! Bye lovelies~" He got up and stopped recording on the camera, turned off the ring light, and began putting his makeup things away. He figured he would continue carding through Kenma's dresser again. There was a certain article of clothing he had given Kenma (to borrow, of course) and he had never returned it- 

~~

Kenma arrived at Shoyo's and Kageyama's apartment at 8:10 sharp. He promptly knocked on the door and waited for someone to open it. He had long since visited them, and that time it was a loud, bustling party. Kuroo took him there after much convincing, and Kenma had hid away in a secluded corner where there hadn't been many people and the music wasn't as loud. It was chaotic and by the time Kuroo found him, he was flat out drunk and stumbling his way through the crowd. Kenma had to drive the both of them home. At the time, Kenma hadn't been rooming with Oikawa. Him and Kuroo lived together. It was nice, because Kenma often went days without eating, sleeping, or showering when he was gaming. Kuroo combatted this with the best food ever, and by dragging him into the bathroom. And when bedtime came, he scooped Kenma up into his arms to carry him into the bed. 

Hinata answered the door briefly after Kenma had knocked with an excited, "Kenma! Hayyy!"

He was practically jumping up and down. Kenma could spot Kageyama lounging on the couch behind him, and he was fast asleep. 

Kenma motioned to Kageyama behind Hinata, whispering, "Uh, is this a good time?"

Hinata nodded swiftly, "Yeah, see?" He strode over to the area where Kageyama was dozing, and fake-yelped behind him. Kageyama didn't even stir. 

"So, he's a heavy sleeper, I suppose?" Kenma replied hesitantly. 

"Yeah, he is~ one time I fell on my face, and I yelled- he didn't even _move_ ,"

Kenma gave Hinata a light smile, and sat at a seat next to the small coffee table in the living room. 

"So, why did you want to meet up?" Kenma said after Shoyo had brought them both a cup of tea. 

Shoyo sipped his tea after blowing on it for some time, "Hmmm, I just wanted to hang out! I haven't seen you in a while, sooo..." He trailed off. 

"I guess that's reasonable,"

"Maybe- if you have other things to do, you're free to leave!" Hinata said apologetically. 

"No, it's ok- I basically finished all the things I had to do yesterday," 

Kenma's phone buzzed in his pocket, interrupting their conversation. Kenma checked who was calling and was slightly surprised to see that it was in fact Oikawa. He pressed accept doubtfully, wondering why Oikawa would call him. 

"Hello?" Oikawa's voice was strung high; strained. 

"Yeah, hi- this is Kenma, did you need something?"

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Tell you what?"

* * *

"Tell you what?" Kenma answered from over the phone. Oikawa could hear the pure confusion in his voice. 

"Uh- ok when you come back from Sho-chan's I'll tell you-bye!" Oikawa swiftly disconnected the call and sat on the edge of Kenma's bed, deep in thought. 

He had gone to find the article of clothing he had lent Kenma- which involved sorting through his dresser of rather, not stylish clothes. Upon his arrival in Kenma's room and looking through several drawers he had discovered a small pile of jewels. Gems? Crystals? They sparkled so brightly, reflecting rays of color across the room. It was unlike anything he had ever seen. And he had seen so much. They were so pretty- like colored diamonds. The perfect cut. 

Why would Kenma have this? He could certainly afford it, sure. But, he didn't have a reason to buy such things. He wouldn't even want to if Oikawa asked him to. He had figured he would just look them up. 

_Super sparkly Colored diamond looking Marquise cut jewels_

_Search._

Several sites and images showed up. All were titled with Star tears disease. Oikawa clicked on one of them. 

_Star tears disease- a situation of unrequited love by the person you love. Characterized by the crystalline jewels that are produced when the person cries. The jewels are accompanied by a jingling/twinkling sound- akin to the sound of shattering glass._

_This disease is very rare, and very similar to the deadly Hanahaki disease. Instead of flowers being coughed out, jewels are. Those who have experienced Star tears have been known to either lose their ability to see color, or lose the ability to see fully. There have been a total of 3 million cases of Star tears. With the research done, we have concluded that the only way to pause the progression of Star tears, the unrequited love must be returned. Several cases, there have been instances where one is not even aware of having unrequited love._

_The tears produced by this disease, are often different colors, and are usually marquise cut. We have no evidence as to how the pigment is created, or how the jewels come out in this specific cut._

~

Oikawa read through the article five times over. Did Kenma have Star tears disease? Did he know? Why didn't he tell him? He had thought him and Kenma were pretty close. Close enough for Oikawa to know when he was upset over something and what it was about. Close enough that he could know how many days Kenma had gone without sleep and without eating. He had to force him to take care of himself like a regular human being. Oikawa wasn't the best cook, but he could whip something up, and it tasted like food- so it was okay. 

After the brunette recovered from the initial shock, he had decided on calling Kenma and asking him about it. It was likely that Kenma didn't know that he had this- this- unrequited love. The Star Tears. Kenma wasn't affectionate. Normally. That changed when it came to Kuroo. But lately, he was extremely closed off. Since Kuroo died. He didn't hang out much with friends anymore, he would go days without food, days without sleep, days without the basic needs of a human body. He was never vulnerable, closed off at all times, impenetrable walls. Kenma was only vulnerable when he was out of sight; alone. However, Oikawa could hear the silent sobs of Kenma, late at night, through the door. 

The other night, he had hear the faint shattering of glass from outside his bedroom door. He figured Kenma had gone out to get a glass of water and dropped the glass. No. It was the Star Tears. 

He pressed dial. It took Kenma two rings to answer. The feeling of waiting for Kenma to answer the phone was akin to standing on your tip toes- on the edge of a cliff. The pure and utter anxiety Oikawa felt for his friend was immense, and he really didn't want anything horrible to happen to him. 

~~

Hinata and Kenma conversed for another two hours. Kageyama woke up thirty minutes before Kenma was going to leave, and they talked about things. The most random things- from brand deals, to volleyball, to how the universe was infinite. (Yes, it escalated quite a bit)

"I'll be leaving now," Kenma said, slowly sitting up. 

"Ah, okay!" Hinata sat up as well, moving to accompany Kenma out the door. 

"Bye,"

"Bye bye Kenma! Visit again soon ok?!" Hinata said, waving a goodbye. 

~

Kenma unlocked the door to the apartment hesitantly. He had a feeling Oikawa would confront him the moment he stepped foot into the apartment. 

Oikawa was lounging on the couch, watching whatever was on the news. He was dressing in Area-51 merchandise, and had a full face of makeup on. Kenma figured he had a date with Iwaizumi later. 

"I'm home," Kenma called silently. Oikawa's head turned to face the direction of the doorway, and motioned for Kenma to approach him. 

Kenma sat on the edge of the couch, the TV playing distantly in the background. 

"What did you want to talk about?" Kenma asked as he averted his gaze from Oikawa's, and directed it towards the floor. 

"Uh- these..." Oikawa opened his hand from it's previously clenched position, and the jewels from the previous night sat peacefully in his palm. They were about the size of a speck of craft glitter. The sunlight from the windows hit them, and they sparkled like they did with the moonlight, casting rays of color across the living room. 

"Where did you find those?"

"In your drawer; I was looking for that one sweater dress I lent you, and you never returned it," Oikawa admitted.

"So that's why you were searching through my dresser?" 

"Mhmm, I didn't find these this morning, but when you left and I finished filming, I continued my search~"

"What's so special about these that you wanted to talk to me about them?"

"You see, these are....hm what's the best way to explain this simply to you?" Oikawa mused, "Well, you know the Hanahaki disease, correct?"

Kenma nodded curtly. Oikawa continued, "Well, what you have is similar..."

"I am quite sure that I do not harbor any unrequited love for anyone," Kenma muttered, his eyebrows creasing together. 

"Oh, well we can get you tested for that-" Kenma squirmed in his seat at the idea of a doctor's office. Oikawa paused, "Well, I guess we don't have to... but we need to stop the progression of the Star Tears,"

"Star Tears?"

"Ah- I haven't explained! So, Star Tears is what you supposedly have. These jewels match the description of Star Tears- This disease isn't deadly, thank goodness. However, if it progresses, and isn't cured, then you could lose your ability to see color, or lose the ability to see fully!" Oikawa rambled in anguish, attempting to explain the whole of the situation as simply and quickly as he could. 

"So- how do I get rid of it?" 

"Hm, you simply need the unrequited love to be returned," Oikawa began, "But you don't know who is the recipient of your love, so this would be quite difficult..."

"I guess a trip to the doctor's is mandatory then," Kenma murmured. 

"I'm sorry, I know you don't like hospitals and stuff like that- cause it reminds you- um, you know," Oikawa fretted apologetically. 

"It's fine," Kenma shifted on his perch, "It's gotten a little better lately,"

"It'll get better with time I suppose, then," Oikawa answered.

Kenma was surprised to hear that he had a disease similar to the Hanahaki disease. Although, he wasn't really. He couldn't decide as to whether he was shocked or not. He wondered who was it that caused it. He was still recovering from Kuro, so how could he possibly fall in love again?

"Kenma- Kenma? Helloooo?" Oikawa waved a hand in front of the blonde's face.

Kenma rolled his eyes, signaling that he was done thinking.

"So, should we schedule an appointment? What time is good for you? What day?" Oikawa babbled. 

"Mmm, uh, tomorrow should be fine," Kenma answered swiftly. He had stream to do, it started in about two hours, and the setup took a while. He got up and headed to his room.

"Hey! What time! You didn't tell me!" Oikawa hissed. 

~~

**Kodzuken: Stream today's been moved one hour. I apologize, we had some equipment mess ups.**

>> _Calicopie replied: It's ok Kenma! Take your time~ ♥_

~~

Kenma sighed. What was he to do with this new found information? He could barely process.

"HEY HEY HEYYYY!"

Kenma winced, as Bokuto almost blasted through the door, shouting his usual greeting.

"Bokuto-san, you should knock before entering, you know," Kenma could hear Akaashi lecturing Bokuto faintly outside his doorway. 

In response, Bokuto tiptoed back outside Kenma's room, and closed the door. He was trying to undo his previous actions- as if they hadn't happened already. Kenma sighed and rubbed his temples. 

A knock sounded at the door, and Kenma quietly answered, "Come in," 

Bokuto opened the door cautiously, whispering, "Hai,"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HAH! I knew I'd get it out earlier! Although all my writing ideas have been depleted for the time being, so give me more time next chapter ok!? Thank you so much for reading! It inspires me so much when you leave Kudos, comment, or bookmark this story, because it tells me that you actually enjoy it! Yes, all the makeup supplies mentioned in the first Oikawa section are real- you can look them up heh. I had to reference those, just to make him seem more like a beauty guru. Although, I'm not that good at doing makeup...  
> Again, thank you for reading!  
> Kudos and Comments are greatly appreciated!  
> [ The palette Oikawa uses- ](https://colourpop.com/products/disney-star-wars-the-mandalorian-the-child-eyeshadow-palette)  
> Next Chapter: February 1st ish at the latest. (always allow me a two week break between chapters to write incase I get busy or lose inspiration)


	3. Back to you

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A look into the past, a meet with Karasuno and Nekoma, Akaashi being the best, and finally: wholesome things.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: Actual Panic attack and themes of self harm! please don't read if you are sensitive to this topic! If you'd still like to read, skip (the panic attack) from where it starts saying "No- I don't believe you-" and continue reading when it says, "20 minutes later..." Also themes of homophobia, bullying, and of course, death. Read at your own expense. 
> 
> Enjoy the Chapter lovelies!

"Hello," Kenma greeted Bokuto as he walked into the room. Akaashi followed close behind tentatively. 

Bokuto gave Kenma a light smile, "We missed you!" in which Kenma returned with a smile and returned to his computer. 

Bokuto left soon after, leaving Akaashi the only one in Kenma's room. (Other than Kenma of course) 

"Did he tell you?" Kenma popped the question after about five minutes of silence. 

"Tell me what?" Akaashi answered. Quietly, carefully. 

"Oikawa, did he tell you about-" Kenma's eyebrow twitched, showing his discomfort. He never did well when prompting people about personal topics. 

"If you are talking about the Star Tears, then yes, he did," Akaashi answered cautiously. He always tiptoed around such topics, because he was also the type to be careful with his words. 

Kenma sighed in anguish, face palming. "Why would he do that?" He mumbled, eyes narrowed at his computer screen. 

"He wanted advice on how to tell you," Akaashi assured Kenma, "He didn't go into detail about who caused this though, and I'm sure you know that Oikawa is a very talkative and caring friend." Akaashi paused in thought, "He was worried, you know,"

"I know," Kenma said. He hated it when people worried about him. He hated when they were concerned, hated it when they wanted to know about his troubles, hated it when they saw him cry and asked him why. He hated being a burden. He should probably just disappear. 

"Stop," Akaashi whispered, "I can see you overthinking, and you know that you are not a burden to any of us,"

"I am," Kenma breathed out, "You're always worried, and I bet you came all this way just to comfort me," He put his head into his hands. 

"I did, and it's my pleasure to comfort you. You're our friend, and it is our joy to ensure that you're happy, and you get what you want out of life," He noted. 

"No, I don't believe you-" Kenma inhaled shakily. When it came to these topics he always ended up crying, for he was so sensitive. He hadn't come to terms with everything. The world went by too fast. He had to stay up until at least one am everyday to get things done. 12 hours was too short. A week was too short. A year- too short. 

Breathe. Maybe. Kenma didn't know if he was breathing, it felt like he was dying. 

"Kenma," Akaashi comforted him, a hand on his arm. "Breathe with me? In for four, hold, for four, and out- four"

In. 1, 2, 3, 4.

Hold. 1, 2, 3, 4. 

Out. 1, 2, 3, 4. 

The cycle repeated. Several times over. 

A recurring thought happened through it all. Akaashi by his side, and Kenma trembled uncontrollably, his heart beating so fast and so loud it seemingly shook his body with it, A cold sweat enveloped him, his fingertips were cold. His eyes pricked with tears and Kenma tried his hardest not to let them fall. He could feel a headache coming. And Most of all? The thoughts.

"I'm not good enough. Why am I here? I should've died, not Kuro. He didn't deserve to die, he was better at life. He did more. He was nicer. Better than me. I shouldn't be here."

It didn't take long before Kenma started mumbling those words aloud. They were almost incomprehensible. No spaces between the words. They were silent, barely even a whisper. 

In and out. 

"Breathe, Kenma,"

One, two, three, four.

* * *

20 minutes later, Kenma was: Not ok, breathing normally, crying, sniffling, making himself into a blanket burrito, and using up all the tissues so he could breathe out his nose again. 

Akaashi had waited patiently on the edge of the bed for Kenma to feel better. He smiled softly at him when Kenma looked over at him. Kenma felt uncomfortable when that happened. 

"Tell me when you're ready to talk," Akaashi whispered. He exited Kenma's room. 

Kenma remembered that he had a stream today. He didn't know if he could do it. All of his equipment was set up and the stream was in one hour or so. He guessed he would just see how he felt when it got to that time. 

~~

When Akaashi exited Kenma's room, closing the door behind him, both Oikawa and Bokuto were staring at him expectantly. 

"Is he okay Keiji?" Bokuto squeaked. 

Akaashi gave a mere shrug, "Not really, but he's doing better,"

Oikawa exhaled, relieved. He had been holding his breath. 

"I figured you'd be the best to deal with this Aka-chan~ Thank you so much," Oikawa sipped his tea. 

Akaashi used to have similar problems to Kenma. Frequent panic attacks that would last hours. He would have an attack at least twice a week. The habit of overthinking plagued him and the feeling that he was a burden made it all the more worse. He finally got help when Koutarou saw the box cutter. The blood that was streaming from his arm. He was so scared he took Keiji to the hospital. The nurses and receptionist dismissed him, and just wrapped the cuts in gauze. Koutarou was finally comforted by Akaashi when he agreed to see a therapist for it. 

By the time Bokuto had discovered that Keiji frequently cut himself, Keiji had already been considering seeing help. And Koutarou pushed him to make the decision. He was so utterly thankful towards him. 

"Sooo, what should we do? I got an appointment for him tomorrow, twelve pm..." Oikawa mused.

"It should be fine, just don't ask too much about it," 

"I know, he doesn't like to be pushed," Oikawa sighed, sipping more of his tea. 

"Oikawa don't you have a date soon?" Bokuto prompted the question, concern written all over his face. He didn't like it when people were late, even when it had nothing to do with him. 

Oikawa's face lit up, both in excitement and worry, "Oh yes! I have to meet with Iwa-chan soon!" He rushed off to his room to fix his outfit and tweak his makeup and hair. 

Bokuto snickered when he left, "Oika-chan really likes Iwaizumi doesn't he?"

Akaashi nodded, simply. "Yes, he does Koutarou," 

~~

Kenma worked up the nerve to do the stream he had scheduled that day, although he would rather be sleeping, he got out of bed, changed, washed his face, brushed his hair again, and did his eyeliner stuff. 

"Hey, welcome to the stream guys," Kenma spoke once he got the equipment started. 

**Kencorn: Hai!**

**Pi: hey**

**eeek: heiii!**

and a million other replies. 

~

The stream ended shortly after 5 pm, as Oikawa just came home with some food for Kenma, and was demanding he go eat. 

"I would've had this stream go on for about another hour, but Oikawa seems to be demanding for me to eat so, goodbye guys," Kenma waved out, and ended the stream. 

Oikawa popped his head through Kenma's doorway, "Hey! Eeeeaattt foood! Did you even eat lunch Kenma!?" 

"No," He answered in a monotonous, flat voice. He had forgotten to eat again. The habit was simply hard to break. 

Oikawa stared daggers at him, narrowing his eyes and flipping him off while at the same time shoving the takeout box at him. Kenma took the takeout box and walked back into his room. 

"Kennnmmaaaaa nuuuuuu don't gooooo backkkkkkk" Oikawa cried. 

Kenma rolled his eyes, and went to sit with Oikawa at the kitchen island. 

They sat in silence, Kenma eating, and Oikawa staring at Kenma eating, which in turn made Kenma uncomfortable. 

"Sooooooooooooo...." Oikawa started. 

"Did your date go well?" 

"Yea it did! We kissed againnnnnnnn! annddddd I think he's gonna ask me to be his boyfriend sooooon!" Oikawa rambled excitedly. 

Kenma smiled, he was happy the Oikawa was finally getting what he wanted. He wished all the best for him. Oikawa always hid behind a wall, much like Kenma. He hid behind the wall well, and he hid the wall too. The sheer amount he talked about his feelings covered up for his true ones. Oikawa feigned vulnerability. Kenma didn't know if it was on purpose or not though. 

"How nice," Kenma responded silently. 

Oikawa relaxed in his posture, thinking about something for a moment before heading off to his room. Presumably to get undressed and such. 

Kenma hurried to finish his food so he could continue editing. He missed out on the valuable 20 minutes he wasted panicking some time ago. Entering his room, he glared at the large windows that occupied it. They were nearly floor to ceiling windows, which didn't have shutters or curtains to block the light coming in. The bright, white moonlight. It shone through the windows, onto the floor, onto the bed, onto the shelves, onto everything. 

It was irritating. As much as Kenma seemed like a pastel kind of person he really wasn't. More like a gothic black rather than whatever pastels and bright colors involved. 

Kenma finally got to sleep peacefully at night, at a decent hour too. 12 am was decent for him.

* * *

Kenma woke up once again for the the millionth time. He kind of wished that he would never wake up again sometimes. Dealing with the world's responsibilities was all the more too tiring. Today he didn't have to go out, except for the doctor's appointment that Oikawa scheduled for him. 

He supposed that today would be a bore. 

His phone vibrated on the table next to his bed. 

**Sugawara: Hey Kenma! We're having a meet up with Karasuno and Nekoma today at 12, would you like to join?**

**Kenma: Not sure if I'm up to it.**

**Sugawara: That's ok! You can join if you change your mind- we're meeting up at the coffee shoppe next to the flower shop that I used to work at, feel free to join!**

**Kenma: Ok**

Perhaps Kenma would join them. Shoyo, Kageyama, Sugawara, Daichi, Asahi, Tsukkishima, Yamaguchi, Nishinoya, Ennoshita, Tanaka, Probably Kiyoko and Yachi, and the two other second years, Kenma remembered; were among the Karasuno Volleyball team. He was familiar with most of them, nix Nishinoya and Tanaka, because they were rowdy and loud majority of the time. Then again, most of them were loud and rowdy if they wanted to be. Kenma sighed. He would see if he was up to it when it got around to 11. 

He remembered he still had to go to the doctor's office. The hospital, maybe. 

Kenma despised hospitals. They were to clean, too bright- too perfect. It was where Kuroo died. On a stuffy hospital bed, with wires attached to his arms. His skin was dry, his hair matted to his forehead. He was too pale. Grey; unsaturated. 

_Half lidded eyes._

_A small smile._

_The distant beeping of the EKG._

_The sharp smell of the hospital. It burned his nose._

_It smelled. Reeked, of sanitization. So much, that it made him sick._

The day Kuro died, Kenma swore that he never wanted to go to a hospital ever again. He knew it would be a hard thing to go by. But he tried. 

No matter what. Even if family was there. He never wanted to go back. Never wanted to remember Kuro's suffering. 

_The EKG flatlined._

_Kenma screamed, cried, sobbed._

_The doctors, the nurses, (Kenma could not tell which) rushed over, pushing Kenma away from Kuro._

_Kenma had to let go of his hand. It would be the last time._

_Hours later, Kenma was still on the floor of the hospital. Kuro's bed was no longer there. Neither was Kuro. Kenma had cried all his tears. He sat on the cold tile, staring down. At his hands, at his lap, at the floor._

_He should've died. What could he live for now? He had no friends._

_A comforting hand rested on Kenma's shoulder. Akaashi. He was here._

_"I took care of the paperwork,"_

_Kenma nodded curtly._

_"You wanna get off the floor?"_

_Kenma rose, reluctantly, legs trembling._

_The next five days were a blur. Kenma remembered food being brought to him. He didn't really know where he was. He didn't eat the food. Half the time tears would roll down his cheeks, and he wouldn't know why. He felt, as though he were playing a game, from third person._

_He was zoned out half the time. He didn't realized his body's needs for water, food, or sleep._

_He lay on the bed that didn't seem like his. And he contemplated._

_Why was he here?_

_Where was Kuro?_

_Why?_

_And well, that was his last thought before he passed out from exhaustion._

Kenma shook his head to himself. He had vowed to not visit the hospital, yet he starved himself and deprived himself of the body's basic human needs. He had been terrified when he awoke in a hospital bed. He panicked, trying to stumbled out, tried to rip the tubes from his arm. It hurt like hell, sure. But any pain was better than having to be in the stuffy hospital. The too-perfect hospital. Bright. 

He hated his two day stay there. 

Shoyo, and Akaashi brought little gifts and trinkets. Flower bouquets and vases. Lights. More flowers. Balloons, for some reason. 

He was discharged and Kenma was released into the wild. Or rather heaven. 

Kenma bought a new apartment right away. Of course, he had to have a roommate to help pay the rent. Although he could've just bought a house, given he was the owner of a company, and a successful youtuber/streamer. 

Kenma was humble, that was for sure.

* * *

11 came soon, and Kenma decided he could go. Just for a little while. He drove himself there, to the coffee shoppe, which took a little while. He arrived about ten minutes early, along with Shoyo and Kageyama. Sugawara was there as well with his now husband, Daichi. 

Twelve arrived, and by that time, many of the Karasuno and Nekoma team members had arrived already. They were seated at a large table, conversing while sipping their cups of tea and coffee. 

"Omg, omg, omg!!!! KIYOKO YOU'RE ENGAGED AND YOU DIDN'T TELL US?!" Sugawara shrieked. 

Daichi looked around anxiously, and attempted to get Sugawara to calm down. 

Kiyoko averted her gaze, opting to look at her coffee cup instead. A bright blush covered her cheeks. 

Tanaka and Nishinoya were gaping in surprise, devastation in their eyes, despite already being in a committed relationship. 

Yachi looked away from the table absentmindedly. 

"IT'S YOU ISN'T IT?! YOU STOLE KIYOKO FROM USSS?!" Nishinoya yelped in disdain. 

Everyone except Kiyoko, Yachi, Nishinoya, and Tanaka shook their heads in disappointment. Kenma scoffed, turning to look at his old teammates. Yaku was currently shooting daggers at Lev, frowning as Lev bounced in his seat. Still as childish as ever. 

Fukunaga was silently sipping his coffee in the corner, watching the events play out before him. Yamamoto was following in his actions, just a bit more obviously. 

Kenma resumed to playing games on his phone. 

He had gotten to level 16 when Lev chirped, "Kenmaaaa! How's Kuroo-san doi-" Yaku clamped a hand over Lev's mouth, glaring at him, then turned to Kenma and nodded apologetically. 

"Sorry! He just forgot! Don't mind him- Ew!" Yaku pulled his hand back as Lev bit him. 

"It's fine," Kenma un-paused his game and continued. 

"Hey! Kenmaaa"

"Hm,"

"I hear you own a company now,"

"I suppose,"

* * *

_"Hahah! Look! It's Kenma!" They snickered in the corner as he walked by._

_"He's such a dry person! He doesn't have any personality at all!"_

_"I know right! He doesn't even try to make friends!"_

_They sneered at his face. Cackled at his hair, at his eyes. Made fun of his lack of energy._

_There was a day where, Kenma had been walking to a spot in the corner of the courtyard, during recess._

_"I hear Kuroo-san is-" He whispered the last word, "gay,"_

_Kenma paid no attention at the time, but, exactly three weeks later-_

_"Look! Kenma the moron is back!"_

_"I saw what he got for our quiz and it was a F! Hah!"_

_"So dumb! And he has no personality!"_

_"He's like a piece of bread!"_

_They closed in on him, in the corner Kenma was in. No one ever came this way. How would he get out of this predicament now?_

_They started poking him, nudging him, eventually even kicking him._

_Kenma didn't say much. He just took it with silence, offering the occasional grunt._

_"hahha! He doesn't even say ow! He's just like a doll!"_

_"HEY! STOP!" A raven haired boy, with hair that stuck up in at least eighteen different directions shoved the boys away from Kenma._

_Kenma flinched in surprise. Someone was actually here._

_The boy offered him a hand, which Kenma took of course._

_"Are you ok?"_

_Kenma nodded._

_"Ok! By the way, my name is Kuroo Tetsurou!" He trilled._

_"Hm, Ok,"_

_And that was when they were 8._

_When they turned 10, Kenma finally popped the question._

_"Hey, Kuro?"_

_"Yeah?"_

_"People keep whispering about you being gay, is it true?"_

_"Hm, I guess it is," He responded nonchalantly._

_"Ok then,"_

_When they were 16, their soulmate marks appeared. Kuro's appeared first, and Kenma followed suit two months after._

_"Hey- Kuro?"_

_"Yes, Kenma?"_

_"Can you show me your soulmate mark again?"_

_Kuroo revealed the inner part of his wrist, rolling up the edge of his sleeve. The words written in a scratchy hand read, "Hm, Ok"_

_Kenma moved his hair to the side, proclaiming the bold, messy, cursive written on his nape._

_"Are you ok?"_

_Kuro's voice behind him, "Hah, I guess this is really happening," He breathed in disbelief._

_"How do you even remember what I said to you?" Kenma scoffed._

_"I fell in love with you the first moment I saw you,"_

_"We were like 7 Kuro"_

_"Who says young love isn't a thing?"_

_"We were babies,"_

_"And? I still love you Kitten,"_

_"Don't call me that,"_

_"Kitten"_

_"Ugh"_

~

Kenma recalled the memory with a fond smile. He really did love him. 

"Hey! Why've you got that smile on your face Kenma? Was my joke actually so funny that Kenma is amused?!" Hinata said excitedly. 

"Sure Shoyo! As if!" Nishinoya snickered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't you love fluff? Would you call that fluff? I don't even know. School began again, make your own assumptions. Also, yes I named the chapter after a song idk why. Anyways, I really love this story and I hope that I'll be able to finish it! I also have another story coming... 
> 
> Expect the next chapter in the timespan of 1/22 to 2/13!
> 
> Kudos, Comments, and Bookmarks are appreciated so much!
> 
> Thank you so much for reading! tell me what you think below!


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